Vol. 475 No. 4
53 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for the Environment the number of households throughout the country connected to individual private wells, the average cost of which is in the region of £3,000 each, plus ongoing maintenance and running costs; the proposals, if any, he has to afford these household equal treatment with their counterparts availing of public supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5006/97]
According to census returns, some 129,000 homes are served by private individual water supplies. To cater, among other things, for these, I am committed to continuing and expanding the programme for the supply of piped water to rural areas by way of new group and public water supply projects. Expenditure on capital grants for group water schemes has already been increased from £3.4 million in 1994 to £6.6 million in 1996. This year, a total of £11 million, including the special provision of £5 million for upgrading, is being made available for such schemes. Last week, I announced a total capital investment programme of over £150 million for water and sewerage schemes in 1997, the largest annual programme ever undertaken in the history of the State. This underlines the Government's continued commitment to improving this element of the country's urban and rural infrastructure.
The issues arising in relation to the provision of a quality water supply to households in rural areas not connected directly or indirectly to a local authority supply are highly complex and require careful study. I have listened to the broad range of views presented to me in recent days by the IFA, the ICMSA and the Federation of Group Water Schemes, as well as other groups and individuals from around the country. I will be considering all of the points raised when developing proposals for a properly planned approach to the development and operation of rural water supplies, and I will be reporting to the Government on the matter in due course.
